大象传媒

Maltese Childhood 1946/7 Outings, trips and cricket matches in Malta

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by volunteer Anita Howard from Essex Action Desk CSV on behalf of herself as Anita Sackett and had been added to the site with her permission. She fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.鈥�

We did not own a car in Malta so apart from using the local bus we were
taken to places of interest by my father鈥檚 Maltese colleagues. We visited Mosta where the local church had a very large dome. During the war a bomb fell through the roof but did not explode. When we went inside a church or cathedral my mother had to wear a headscarf and my father had to remove his hat.
We visited Medina, an ancient walled city surrounded by countryside and we also went to the Roman museum which held many exhibits mainly Roman pottery, relics and mosaic floors etc. Next to it were the catacombs which we explored. They were very spooky and still held skulls and bones which had been placed on the stone
shelves. Needless to say I was relieved to get away from there.

Other outings were with my father鈥檚 works鈥� department when we would travel by bus to other parts of the island. Usually we took our own picnic, swimsuits and towels. The trip to Comino Island was unforgettable. This time we went by a large ferry boat. The Maltese skipper took the wheel and we sailed across the blue Mediterranean to the tiny island in between Malta and Gozo. We then walked to a lovely sandy beach which faced the Blue Lagoon. The water was turquoise and shallow for bathing. After this we played cricket on the beach and enjoyed our picnic. On the return voyage someone played 鈥淐ome Back to Sorrento鈥� on a mandolin.
Other trips with the AMDW were to the Blue Grotto which was rocky and very deep for swimming. Some people took a boat to see the caves and grotto. We didn鈥檛, much to my disappointment.
Another place we visited several times was Han-Tafia, at the north of the island, now called Golden Bay. It was a long walk down some steep steps to a sandy beach but it was worth it because we could play in the surf. It was such a change from the rocky coastline of Sliema. Another time I went to Gozo on a Sunday School outing.
When we lived in Hal-Far my mother took us into Birzebuggia during the summer holidays, as a small beach was left after a storm which provided us with a great swimming spot.

My father played wicket keeper for the works鈥� cricket team so we often went to see him play. Many times we went to Luqua, the main aerodrome, where the matches were held. My sister and I were bored with the cricket so we played with the surplus pads and rubber spiked gloves and waited for tea time 鈥� little sandwiches and cakes and squash for us. The wives wore pretty dresses and sat chatting in the shade of the pavilion.
Sometimes my parents would take us to the AMDW headquarters at Que 鈥攕i Sana , near Sliema, where we played with other children and attended the Christmas party with Father Christmas.
After two years of sunny childhood it was time to depart. My father made crates for our belongings and mum packed all the sugar, jam and tinned milk ready for England which was still rationed. We said a very sad goodbye to our house and were taken by taxi to our ship, the 鈥淪cythia鈥�, (Cunard White Star Line). This time we were not so lucky with our berths. Mum, Ginny and I had to share with another lady and her two children and dad had to share in the men鈥檚 section.
I remember very little about the return voyage but do remember docking at Liverpool, so dull and grey, and seeing all the tall dockside buildings. We stayed overnight in a hotel and went to the funfair at New Brighton; had fish and chips and a ride on a Liverpool tram.
The next day we returned by train to Rushden, Northants where we were to stay with Grandma Sackett in her Victorian terraced house with no electricity or bathroom. It took a long time for us to adjust to life back in England.

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